Hangout Time – Young Adult Edition

Bobby Benjamin

Robert “Bobby” Benjamin is a clinical social worker living in New York City. He currently serves as the Director of Clinical Services in a foster care agency in the Bronx, NY. After he was diagnosed with ADHD in the summer of 2010, he became involved with the LD/ADHD community through volunteering with Eye to Eye, a mentoring and art-based self advocacy and social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum for children with learning differences and ADHD. He connected with ADDA in the summer of 2018 as he and Jessica McLaren were trying to start a virtual support group of their own. He joined as a facilitator for the Young Adults Virtual Peer Support Group and has been overjoyed to watch it grow as a supportive community for ADHD Young Adults. He enjoys traveling to new places, exploring New York City’s endless restaurants, learning new Brazilian Jiujitsu techniques, and connecting and listening to the stories of his ADHD peers.

Zach Gershon

Zach Gershon is a PhD student at the Rockefeller University in NYC, studying neurobiology and the genetics of cognition. Zach has been a member of ADDA since 2016. He first joined the now defunct College Student Virtual Peer Support Group, and when it ended that summer, he looked to continue with a group for community support. Other Adult ADHD groups had an average membership age of over 35. Feeling like he was only “adulting” some of the time, Zach had trouble relating to those full-time adults. He realized that there weren’t a lot of resources to specifically support young adults with ADHD, and worked with ADDA to start the Young ADDults Virtual Peer Support Group. Zach has facilitated the Support Group since its inception in the summer of 2017; and in that time, the Young ADDults group has provided a safe and welcoming space to support over 100 young adults with ADHD. Adding to his volunteer work with ADDA, Zach was excited to join the planning committee for the International Conference on ADHD at the end of 2019 to advocate for more content targeting young adults. In his down time, Zach enjoys going to the theater, concerts, and museums, as well as just having a game night with his friends. Zach looks forward to meeting other young adults with ADHD and having the chance to talk with them about how they deal with their ADHD and its impacts on their lives.

Tara Sherman

Tara has been working in education, with neurodiverse learners, since 2016. She has been volunteering with ADDA since 2020.

Elizabeth Stone

Hi, friends! My name is Elizabeth Stone and I have been involved with ADDA since 2019. Not only have the resources been helpful to me as a teacher, working with many students who are diagnosed or in the process of being identified as having ADHD, but they have also been incredible in my own journey as I learn more about the way I function best and the systems that best serve me. Although I have attended many ADDA webinars and participated in panels and other virtual peer support groups, my first ADDA love is the Young Adults VPSG, and I am so excited to be a facilitator for this group and to share this great community with you!

Kelsey Brennan

Greetings! My name is Kelsey Brennan. I became a member of the Young Adult Support group in 2018. My facilitator journey began in 2020 when we introduced the Young Adult Hangout group in an effort to increase opportunities for social interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic. ADDA’s support groups have been an integral part of my mental health journey, giving me access to an amazing community, invaluable resources, and endless encouragement.

I live in NJ with my partner and cat, Maverick (a frequent guest at meetings). When not volunteering for ADDA I can be found crocheting, rollerblading, kayaking, identifying trees, wood burning, playing guitar, running… whichever of the many hobbies I’m in the mood for that day.

Kylie Cornett  

Hello beautiful human. I’m Kylie Cornett, and my ADHD journey began during quarantine in 2020. It was the first time I was still enough to realize something was going on that I didn’t yet understand. I found ADDA a month after I was diagnosed and couldn’t believe such a supportive, accepting and understanding community exists. This group kept me sane, connected and made Tuesday nights one of my favorite times of the week. If I’m not talking with you all, I’m either creating something, playing with my dogs or working towards my ADHD coach certification (so I get to talk with you more!). I already think you’re awesome, and I’m excited to meet you. Thank you for being here.